THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Be it cyclone Ockhi in December 2017, Kavalappara landslide in Aug 2019, Covid-19, Air India Express crash at Kozhikode in Aug 2020, and now the Wayanad landslide, one man's presence to lend a helping hand has been a constant in all major tragedies that have hit Kerala in the last 18 years.
Basheer Kalathiparambil, 44, has been volunteering in handling the bodies of victims for nearly two decades.
A Kondotty native, Basheer was at Shirur to assist in the search mission for missing lorry driver Arjun when the landslide struck Wayanad on July 30.
He reached Nilambur by 11am on the first day, and returned home Monday after handling over 150 bodies at the mortuary over the past seven days.
An electrician by profession, he was assisting in marking bodies so authorities and relatives could identify them. He was also helping with cleaning the bodies.
Having handled dead bodies for so long, Basheer is anything but faint-hearted. However, he says the magnitude of the Wayanad landslide has been the worst he has ever witnessed.
"It was unimaginable and terrifying. Body after body was arriving at the mortuary," he said. "Several bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, and relatives struggled to identify them. It was painful to see the bodies of kids, who must have been sleeping, without an inkling of what was happening."
Due to his expertise, he is well-known in the state, and is sought after by authorities whenever there are mass casualties. "I don't accept money... I am serving people at the time of their despair. I cannot make money out of it," said Basheer, a father of three.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword. Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes, messages, and quotes.